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Our Goals

Our Goals

September 25, 2016 Posted by Grizzly Dad Philosophy

Money can be a complex and daunting topic. But our goals here are simple. Difficult, but simple.

Our first is the most basic. Achieve financial independence by the time our daughter turns 3. She was born in 2015, which means our target date is a little under 2 years from now. That’s goal number 1: Achieve financial independence and be able to live off our savings by March 22, 2018.

Becoming parents changed us, changed me. This is a cliche statement to make, but in this case, I think it’s true. Mrs. Grizzly and I have always been what we call ‘prestige monkeys’, chasing just one more banana of impressive schools, high-powered jobs, or fancy awards.  Our daughter changed all that. I’d march naked through Times Square if it was good for her. I’d punch the CEO of my company in the face to help her. I’d rip up every diploma, award, or accolade I’ve ever received to make her happy. That’s goal number 2: Be the best parents we can from this point forward.

So many people in our shoes just continue along the path we’re on. Never diverting from the upward path of corporate prestige and money. The counterexamples are rare as diamonds: the folks who pursued dreams lived their best lives and died smiling with zero regrets. It would be easy to continue to live the way we do now. It’s what our families, our friends, society, expect us to do. Complacency would be the path of least resistance. Going another direction involves rocking the boat. We want to rock the boat! That’s goal number 3: Turn our lives upside down for the better.

But we also want to rock a larger boat if we can. So many people are trapped in the same maze we were in – a maze of money and fancy stuff. Trading our lives away for some shiny baubles. But more importantly, humanity is facing serious problems as a result of these collective choices. We’ve constructed a society that does irreparable harm to the world around us.  And one that seems to have the effect of making us all a little miserable in the process. We want to show as many people as we can that there is another way. A way that makes us all better and happier and healthier. That’s goal number 4: Save the world.

Should be easy.

Tags: GoalsLifeMoney
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30 Comments

Leave your reply.
  • Jason
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 2:47 PM

    I hope family and friends get onboard with you!
    It’s going to be hard, but it can be done. Get after it.
    Congratulations on Baby Grizzly and the beginning of a great adventure!

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 2:50 PM

      Thanks! I think we can convince a few of them to come around 🙂

  • Scott
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:01 PM

    You sound just like me and my wife, except we are a few years older (38 and 37) and our kids were born in 2012 and 2014. I had my “oh shit I am going to waste my life” moment back in 2014. We ended up moving away from our high cost city full of high prestige (but miserable and unhealthy) friends to a medium-sized city. I assume you are going to do something similar given your ambitious goal? Can’t wait to see how it works out for you! Seems like you have the drive and smarts to make it happen!

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 5:10 PM

      Topic for a future post – but yes, we plan on moving back to Kansas City (where I’m from) in the near future.

  • Gwen @ Fiery Millennials
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:09 PM

    Fortunately, there is a whole wide world of supportive weirdo strangers on the internet who would like nothing more than to see you succeed! Welcome to the FIRE community 🙂

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 9:02 PM

      Excited to meet everyone! Weirdos and all.

  • Del Lloyd
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:16 PM

    My husband and I quit out tech jobs to travel 3 years ago. After 1.5 years on the road he went back, I didn’t. Best decision ever.

    Who cares about getting your friends and family on track – you get to live your life and provide an amazing example to your daughter.

    Congrats on your future freedom!

  • Zenon
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:18 PM

    I cannot wait to follow your journey. You both are doing this for the right reason, your daughter. No worries on what the fam thinks, do your thing!
    You guys should be proud of yourselves!

    Z

  • Andrew
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:18 PM

    The great news is once you are done in 2018, why would you stay in the SF Bay area? So many other really nice places to live at a fraction of the cost. I am a CO resident like MMM, and you just can’t beat it.
    Best of luck, as a parent of two close to teenaged boys I commend you for realizing their is a better way.

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 5:08 PM

      Haha. You basically just described the topic of an upcoming post. The plan is to move back to Kansas. SF is crazy town – for many many reasons only one of which is the money.

  • Beth
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:21 PM

    I ❤️ stories like this! I stumbled across Mr. Money Mustache a few years ago just after I divorced and have been a loyal follower ever since. When married, We were also a two six-figure income family with jobs in the tech field and also had all of the trappings of what life was “supposed to look like” as well, yet we were miserable. Venturing out on a new life, I bought a small home for my son and I and completely walked away from the life comprised of “stuff.” I am now also working diligently towards early retirement. It is challenging, sometime downright hard, but I refocus on what really matters. I’ve learned to cook, kayak, fix things with my own two hands, and I’m working on a second masters degree (company paid) so that when I do retire, I can teach as a side gig. Not bad for a single chick. ???? I am now SO MUCH happier than when I was keeping up with the Joneses. I credit MMM and blogs Ike this for the motivation to put in the sacrifices to own my own life. Best of luck to both of you! You are part of a band of warriors forging the same path towards true happiness.

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 9:04 PM

      That’s a pretty amazing story. Thank you for sharing! Hoping we can join you soon.

  • Christa
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:23 PM

    I am 50 with college staring us in the face. I haven’t worked full time in 18 years and have no regrets, just wish we found a way for DH to do the same. I also wish I got on the simplicity wagon 30 years ago and we could have done it! Good luck with everything, you will do great!

    • Rob in Munich
      · Reply

      September 27, 2016 at 2:17 AM

      yeah that makes two of us, I keep thinking had we gotten smarter when we moved to Europe 20 years ago we would have been in a position to take generous buyout and my wife would have been gone at 52 rather than a more normal 60. Oh well too soon old too late smart

  • Sheri
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:30 PM

    Congrats on your goals. I just wanted to say that I had the same goals that you had, and I have met a lot of people in Asia (Taipei) with those exact same goals. I’m currently taking a few months off to be with my spouse and 1,3,5 year old. After taking 2 months off so far, I would say that I wouldn’t want to leave work forever to stay with my kids. My wife and I both agree that at least one of us could use the work/life balance in order to stay fresh and high energy for my kids. Taking care of kids at the 3-5 year old mark was quite draining and I needed a recharge by going to work. But that is just me.

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 9:07 PM

      Agree. I doubt we’ll ever actually stop working even after we ‘retire’. We’re both WAY to type A for that. But it will be on our own terms and for ourselves.

  • LP
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:56 PM

    I found your site from MMM, and I’m looking forward to seeing your journey. It will be inspiring to see process as it happens. I wish you the best of luck!

  • Keri H.
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 3:59 PM

    I have been reading MMM for awhile now, and am interested in seeing the process from the start. My husband and I have been moving in this direction for a year, and one of the biggest hurdles for us is our friends and families not getting it. Looking forward to seeing more!

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      September 26, 2016 at 9:08 PM

      We’re often met with stares of disbelief when we tell folks what were doing. But it’s worth it to find the couple people who get it.

  • Hillary
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 4:20 PM

    Hey, welcome to the club..there aren’t many of us but we are slowly growing in numbers. My goal is to retire my husband in 2 years and do nothing but live small, travel the world, and give money away. It will require a fuck ton of work (he’s in the Air Force and I’m a momtrepreneur with an almost 2 year old) – but I want us to live a life designed by us and no one else. It’s okay your family doesn’t get it.. mine doesn’t either, but I refuse to Keep Up with the Joneses or even be friends with them. No thanks. Good luck. 🙂

  • Peter
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 5:29 PM

    ‘prestige monkeys.’ Utterly brilliant.

  • Alexis
    · Reply

    September 26, 2016 at 9:06 PM

    Hi there. We are two physicians with two daughters (3 & 7) living in the Bay Area. I stay home with the kids while my husband works. We are planning his escape for 2017. We, too, will leave California. When we started thinking about living a different lifestyle and what we wanted for our girls, we began questioning everything. Even the public education system. Just like mass consumerism we all play into like puppets, public schools exist to create obedient conformists. We want our children to be free thinking intellectuals, not just “monkeys” following in our footsteps (also IV League education, med school, residency and fellowships). When you really start down this road, it is possible to fall down a very long rabbit hole. Our families and friends think we are completely nuts but no longer bring it up.

    • Anne the Conqueror
      · Reply

      September 29, 2016 at 4:15 AM

      I think it’s a really intereseting question: If you started out valuing prestige monkey stuff, and succeeding at it, and that’s what valued by your family and friends and obviously society, how doe that play out in respect to your unwritten rules for your childrem? Your unconscious biases? How do you teach them to swim against the tide. I think a lot of young adults have kind of mustachian values from fairly early on, but without many adults around who got it or who could figuire out how to make it work. Having a mentor would be a HUGE advantage.

      • Grizzly Dad
        · Reply

        Author
        September 29, 2016 at 7:09 AM

        It’s a great question. And something we grapple with every day. It’s not that our parent really pushed us in the direction of our current careers, it’s more like they didn’t even know about another path existed. I’m hoping that knowing will enable us to steer Baby Bear in this direction.

  • Xyz from Financial Path.
    · Reply

    September 27, 2016 at 1:55 PM

    I wish you all the luck going forward! It’s great discovering your blog 🙂

  • Anne the Conqueror
    · Reply

    September 29, 2016 at 4:16 AM

    P.S. You have guts to put a date on it!

  • SFAnnie
    · Reply

    September 30, 2016 at 6:46 AM

    The day we accomplished our goal of Goodbye San Francisco, hello Oregon was a pretty exciting day. We went from spending $180,000 a year to spending $30K. Two “paid cash” houses, rental income, Social Security for one of us, retirement for one, and annuity for one made it all possible. We don’t have NEW STUFF….but we do have family around, we have time for the outdoors, and we consult here and there. Best decision ever.

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      Author
      September 30, 2016 at 8:30 AM

      Here’s hoping that we can have a similar experience! Thanks for sharing!

  • Rudolf
    · Reply

    October 13, 2016 at 3:01 AM

    This site is really interesting. I have bookmarked it.
    Do you allow guest post on your blog ? I can write hi quality articles for you.

    Let me know.

    • Grizzly Dad
      · Reply

      Author
      October 13, 2016 at 7:16 AM

      Thanks, Rudolf! At this point, we’re just having stuff from my wife and me, but I definitely don’t want to rule out guest posts!

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